


Furry Friend

by herondick



Category: The Infernal Devices Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Angst, Death, Gen, Mentions of Blood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:07:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,047
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26502634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/herondick/pseuds/herondick
Summary: The story of Jem and his cat, Xiao Long.
Relationships: Jem Carstairs/Tessa Gray, Jem Carstairs/Will Herondale, Tessa Gray/Will Herondale
Kudos: 9





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: all characters belong to Cassandra Clare.

Shanghai, 1869

8 year old James Carstairs was walking down the street with his father, Jonah. It was quite warm outside with a gentle breeze blowing. The sun was just visible along the horizon, signaling the end to another day. The street wasn’t crowded, since most mundanes had already went inside their homes to eat dinner and settle in for the night. Jem liked the quiet and stillness that surrounded him and his papa.

His father had been consulting with Idris all day about an unnerving amount of demons that had been roaming around the city lately. As Head of the Institute, it was his job, after all. Though Jem was indeed a Shadowhunter, he was young and did not yet understand, or really care, about any of this. All he knew was he had been stuck inside the Institute all day, listening to his mother rattle on about weapons and fighting positions to the younger Shadowhunters who had already begun training. Jem knew that one day he would need to know all of that information, but for now he desperately wanted to get out of the Institute and spend some time with his father.

So, after dinner, Jem asked his father if he would walk with him a little ways down the street that the Insitute was on. He knew his father was busy, so he promised him it would not be long.

Throughout their short walk, Jonah asked Jem about his violin, and if he had been practicing. Jem loved the instrument. He loved the curve of it under his long fingers, but he had to admit he had not been good about practicing lately. Before Jem could answer, however, there was a sound coming from behind a trash bin along the street.

His father told him to stay put while he investigated. Jonah walked over to the bin and bent down behind it so Jem could not see him. When he stood up, he was holding something small. At first, Jem thought it was a really fuzzy blanket but after a closer look, he noticed it was a cat. Well, a kitten really. It was small and grey, with white paws and a white face. It was one of the cutest things Jem had ever seen.

Before his father could say a word, Jem was rushing at him full of excitement.

“Can we keep him, Papa. Please? He will surely die if we leave him out here alone,” Jem cried. He loved all animals, and the thought of this poor, innocent creature being left to die was almost too much for him to bear.

“James,” his father replied. “The city is full of stray cats. If we brought every one of them home, we would have to turn the weapons room into a cattery.”

Jem had no idea what a cattery was, but he was persistent. “Papa, please! I promise to take care of him. I will feed him everyday. Play with him. I won’t let him get in the way of anyone in the Institute.”

Jonah hung his head in defeat, but Jem could tell he wasn’t angry. He looked up and smiled at his son and said, “You have your mother’s stubbornness, so I should not be surprised. But if we are taking the cat home, you should at least get the gender right.”

Jem’s eyes got wide. “Oh, it’s a girl.”

“Does that change your mind about taking her home, then?” Jonah asked, his smile now creeping into his voice.

“No, papa. Not at all.” Jem reached up grab the kitten out of his father’s arms. Immediately, the cat went limp in Jem’s arms and seemed perfectly content.

“She has already taken a liking to you.” Jonah patted Jem on the shoulder. “We should get back now. It’s almost dark and with all of the demon activity lately, I don’t want us out much longer.”

Jem nodded even though he was barely listening. In fact, even if all of the demons in Shanghai surrounded them at this very moment, he probably would not take notice.

“You just have to promise me one thing.”

“Anything, papa.” Jem looked up at his father with his big dark eyes.

Jonah ruffled his hair and winked at him. “You are going to be the one to explain this to your mother.”


	2. Chapter 2

As it turns out, Jem’s mother wasn’t upset at all about the cat. She herself had a soft spot for them, and she thought it would be good for Jem to have something to have responsibility for.

After talking with his mother, Jem took his new pet to his room. He put the cat on his bed and stared at her, his face serious.

“Well, you need a name. Hmm.. let me think.” Jem paced his room, his index finger tapping thoughtfully against his temple. As he walked by his nightstand, something caught his eye.

A figurine his uncle Elias had bought him sat on his nightstand. It was a red dragon, with its wings spread out to its side and its tail curved behind it.

“A small dragon for a small boy,” his uncle had said. Jem had been about 5 years old then.

“I like dragons!” Jem had exclaimed.

Now, as he looked at his cat, he felt a smile play at his lips. “How about… Xiao Long? It means “small dragon.”’

The cat, now officially named Xiao Long, quietly meowed in response.

“Well it’s settled then,” Jem said. He walked over to his bed and picked up Xiao Long. “I think we’re going to get along just fine.”

Xiao Long followed Jem everywhere. She followed him to bed, the dining table, even when he needed to excuse himself for the toilet. Jem enjoyed the company, and Xiao Long enjoyed the attention.

Then, one night in 1872, Xiao Long was sleeping in the windowsill of the training room when she heard screaming. A lot of screaming. She was smart enough to know not to get involved, so instead she ran for the gardens outside of the institute.

A few days later, the Institute was quiet. Xiao Long snuck back inside, searching for her owner, her Jem. She found him, bound to a chair, blood running from the corners of his mouth. His eyes were rolling back in his head and he was whimpering.

She also noticed the two other humans, the ones who she had realized were Jem’s parents, also tied to chairs. Their chests’ weren’t moving. Their heads were slumped and blood pooled around them.

Xiao Long didn’t know what to do. So, she sat at Jem’s feet and waited.

Sometime later, more Shadowhunters broke into the Institute. They found Jem and his parents. They immediately took Jem away while he was screaming. Xiao Long tried to follow them, but she couldn’t catch up.

She sat and watched as they took her Jem away in a carriage, not knowing when she would see him again.

Weeks went by. Xiao Long kept herself fed by eating the mice that surrounded the Institute. It was so much different than the good food Jem had given her.

Then, one day, she saw three figures walking up the Institute steps. Elias Carstairs, Jem’s uncle. Ke Yiwen, Jem’s Aunt. And Jem. Jem looked a lot different. His once black hair had streaks of silver. He looked skinnier, almost sickly. His face was pale and drawn, his eyes sunken in. He looked so sad.

Xiao Long followed them inside, but none of them took notice.

“Get whatever you need, Jem. We have about two hours before you have to be on the ship,” Elias said.

Jem nodded and walked up the stairs to his room. Xiao Long followed him. His room hadn’t been touched since the night the screams happened. He slowly walked to his bed and sat down. Xiao Long meowed quietly, making him look up. His face broke into a smile.

“I can’t believe you’re still here! Come here, come here. Let me hold you!”

Xiao Long launched her small body into his arms. He started rubbing behind her ears. Oh, how she had missed this.

Eventually, she felt something wet hit her fur. Jem was crying. He covered his face with his hands as his body shook. After a few moments, he wiped his tears away and looked at Xiao Long.

“My parents are dead, and I am dying. I don’t know how much longer I have. They tell me maybe about two years.” He stopped and caught his breath, fighting back more tears. “They’re sending me to London. They think it’s the safest thing, in case Yanluo’s minions come for me. But,” he stopped then, and hugged Xiao Long close. “I can’t take you with me. It’s too long of a journey, and they don’t know if the London Institute allows cats.”

Xiao Long was a smart cat, and she knew this was a goodbye. She rubbed her small face against Jem’s, causing him to cry more. They sat like that for a time, until he had to get up and gather his things.

“My aunt, Yiwen, will be taking you. She will take good care of you. I promise.”

Xiao Long followed Jem into the entryway where his aunt and uncle were waiting. Jem bent down and petted her one last time.

Without a word, he stood and walked out of the Institute, not looking back again.

Later that evening, Jem’s aunt returned for Xiao Long. She took her to Ke House and gave her some good food and a warm bed. Even thought Xiao Long would miss Jem terribly, she knew she would be well taken care of. Who knew? Maybe she would see her Jem again one day.

London, 1877

A soft knock at the door startled Jem. He had been very absorbed in going through his new music book. He stood and flung the door open, finding Charlotte on the other side. She was holding a letter.

“A letter for you. From Shanghai.” She banded the letter to Jem and hovered by the door, obviously wanting to know what was inside.

“I’ll let you know if it is anything serious, Charlotte. Thank you,” Jem said in his gentle voice. Charlotte nodded and walked down the hallway.

Jem closed his bedroom door and tore the letter open.

My dearest nephew,

I wish this letter contained more exciting news. I am writing to inform you that your cat, Xiao Long, has died. I know this is probably not something that you would want to know, but I felt you should since she was your cat, after all. But take heart, my boy, she lived a happy life. I took care of her to the best of my ability, like you asked. She passed on peacefully as she was sleeping.

I hope you are doing well. I know my sister, your mother, would be so proud of the young man and Shadowhunter you are becoming. I hope to see you again, very soon. Maybe I’ll visit London! I’ve been wanting to visit another Institute.

Until that day comes..

Wǒ ài nǐ, Ke Jian Ming,

Your Aunt, Ke Yiwen

Jem felt the tears fall down his cheeks before he could put any effort into stopping them. Maybe it was childish that he was crying over a cat he had not seen in four years, but he didn’t care. He had loved that small animal.

Many things had been taken from him in the last few years. His parents. His health. His true happiness. But he had also been blessed with more. A new family. A parabatai. Something that was completely sacred within itself. He had wanted the love his parents had had for so long, and he knew he wouldn’t have time to find it.

Jem knew he was going to die, and probably sooner rather than later. He had known this for a while now, and had accepted it. But he still had a small hope that blossomed in his chest. A small hope that something miraculous would happen, and everything would be normal again.

Who knows? Maybe I’ll adopt another cat one day, Jem thought to himself. He went back to his desk and turned his focus to his music book.


End file.
